April 2012 - Feeding, Facebook and finally summer!!

[Flisspaps]

Apologies for the rubbish thread title - thought I'd cobble something together though!

Thaleia very glad you are feeling better inside, outside is important too but I guess start inwards and work out is a good mantra!

Today we had a very relaxed day, took DD to the swimming pool for the first time. She was fascinated by the water and very calm, but didn't splash around or laugh - I hope once she gets used to it she'll actually enjoy it! She looked so sweet in her wee swimsuit too!

Bear I had a look at the one o'clock club website, looks like they have a morning and afternoon session - which one do you actually go to? I need to be out of the house by 10.45 as I have a house viewing going on, but if it takes me a while to get there I might just hang around in the park & wait for the afternoon session instead.

Thaleia I've never heard of or seen anyone use an apron for BF. Dont worry about anyone else, you've done so well to get this far

Weaning, leaving it as long as I can. My highchairs are Chicco Quickseats so DS really needs to be able to sit unaided to go in one, and he can't yet. I've said before, I'm too lazy for spoonfeeding and like my own meals hot so will do BLW again. I do put him on the kitchen table strapped into his bouncy chair at mealtimes though so he sees what we're doing.

Redecorating still ongoing, just the living room, bedroom and woodwork to go now and then the bathroom floor to be laid. Have someone visiting on Friday who wants a CM for her 3 children...fingers crossed I'm the right one for them!

Marsh I am going to the morning session (9.30 - 12.00), I'm actually going to be taking two toddlers in my double pram and DD in a sling today (gulp!) as my friend is going for her 20 week scan.

Good luck with the potential clients, Fliss.

fliss I really hope they go with you got my fingers crossed for you.

Ds1 has a weeks swimming lesson course starting today so we have something planned every day. Also have to go food shopping today, we are using the bare bones of what is left and have done all weekend, it's getting a little tedious now.

A is being a lazy bones and is still asleep, he went to bed between 7.30 and 8 last night so I'm thinking possible growth spurt (boo, he's totally lost his newborn baby look and is growing far too quickly).

Those of you on my fb would have seen the pics of ds1 trying on his school uniform. I just don't know where the last 4 years have gone, it's lovely to see how grown up he can be and I'm glad dh and I have raised a confident and happy little boy but I'm a bit sad for me that one of my children will be in "proper" school so soon. I will need to remind myself of this when I'm moaning about childcare costs when I go back to work (£45 per day for A and £10.75 a day for ds1, eek!)

Right I'm going to check on A as he really shouldn't still be asleep. Should I wake him? He is so not a morning baby haha!

thaleia - another top lifter here! I've tried specialist breast feeding tops but found this works best for us.

fliss - wishing you all the best for Friday!!! I really hope it works out for you.

newmummy - great to hear L is enjoying baby rice. Have you found it makes her any more settled at night? I'm looking forward to weaning photos from everyone on FB!

Well after my winge last week about N's sleep he has been much better (only woke once last night, yay! Which is amazing since it was 29 degrees C in the bedroom).

N's hair is getting ridiculously long! It's actually starting to look like an 80s mullet. :)

Had a lovely morning away from N on Saturday. Went to Oxford street to get some clothes for our holiday next month but ended up just buying things for N!! Oh how life has changed :)

laughing we have the same mullet issue with A. People keep telling me to cut it but he seems too young at the moment.

hug - DS1 looks lovely in his school uniform, you must be so proud. I'm with you on child care costs. N's nursery will cost about 1200 a month and that was one of the cheapest I found in our area :(

DD has a mullet and a bald patch. She look amazing :)

Fliss good luck on Friday.

marsh hope the house selling goes well :)

Thank you laughing I nearly cried when I put it on him.

holly A has so far avoided a bald patch but ds1 had one it grows back quite quickly.

Im off to the gym for a bit of quiet time, ds1 swimming lessons were cancelled (told after I had paid £41 before going to the changing room) so that was a tantrumy nightmare (dont blame him for being upset but he didn't have to be so loud about it I am aware he is only 4 and went food shopping for the 3rd time on my own with the two of them which is just stressful and tiring, ds1 is so helpful getting items i need but has no awareness of his surroundings so I'm constantly calling "be careful" or "watch out" as he either walks into something or nearly gets run over by a trolley sometimes mine

So Marsh and I met at one o'clock club today - was lovely to meet her and her beautiful DD. Both our babies were busy refusing milk together on a bench and my older one was keeping me on my toes too.

Forgot to get photographic evidence of first RL meeting...

Glad your meet up when well, marsh and bear, shame I can't meet you weston-super-mare if a bit far from London! But let me know if any of you are down my way?

Good luck with viewings marsh and with your lady fliss :)

Tried L on apple with milk tonight,she really liked it but did pull some funny faces. its made no different to sleeping at night, but she has drop a feed in the day! I'm not going dream feed tonight I think maybe im disturbing her sleep pattern. So gonna wait till she wakes for a feed. Last few nights its been 1230-1 any way. I got dh to do a bottle last night she refused it, then stayed awake for a hour! So im thinking she is always hungry in night! Just wants me or boob??????

Sorry I thinking that she isn't always hungry?

vicky it could be that she is naturally waking (we all do through the night but don't remember) but wants your boob as a comfort to go back to sleep. I could be talking out my backside but it's a theory :).

Yes I was thinking that, she wakes and I offer her the boob, she might not be hungry but it does settle her and sometimes she goes back off if im lucky!

I do thinks its a comfort thing or just checking we are there? Bless her x

Bear she finally took the bottle just as the place was closing but I was able to finish the feed when we got up to the top of the park. I think she was distracted by seeing so many older kids running round having fun, clearly wishing she could join in.

We had quite a display of grumpiness this evening but all much calmer now. Hope you enjoyed the rest of the day too!

RE sleeping ... I feel we go backwards, he used to come every 3.5hrs or so, now it's every 2.5 - 3hrs and I can't go back to sleep. I am basically in bed and waiting for 1am and 4am to come. It's not worth going to bed early either as his first feed is at 10pm and I really can't go to bed at 8pm. All in all we have 7/ 10/ 1/ 4 and I woke him at 7.30 this morning.

Didn't help that I had a meltdown yesterday. I don't know why things are so wrong in my head, why can't I be normal and happy and enjoy things? I feel I am such a bad person and crap mother because I worry too much and am unable to be normal and happy around our son. And it always starts if something isn't "perfect" with Raphael. I had him meassured yesterday and he's now on the 9th perc. for length, down from the 50th. MW said all fine as he's in porportion - same line for lenght and weight but all I could think of is him being a small man, not finding a girl friend and being made fun of. And where does it come from? We are not giants but not dwarfs either.

Anyway, I even know that it's just an "excuse" and not the reason. I just can't hold it together and DH is no help at all. Re the "problem" he said I should give him Vitamine D pills - as his answer to everything is just another pill, bless him. And re the other thing: go out, make friends, do something, stop with the worry. But I can't, I really can not. Sometimes I think it would be best for everyone if I just fucked off to work again ASAP, at least R would be in childcare and with other happy children, not his misrable mother. But it's not what I really want and I don't even know if this would solve it.

Life at it is frightens me. And what have I become? I had people working for me, I was a good boss and could get the best out of my team. Why is this all so hard now? I just don't know who I am anymore.

And the worst thing is: I have to pretend, otherwise other people worry too much about me and this gives me the creeps too. Maybe not pretend, but I really have to work hard to get my act together.

Thaleia it's normal to worry about the future to some extent, but really if it's getting too much then please see your GP. Were you diagnosed with PND or am I talking out of my hat? Either way, worrying so much and thinking you're a bad person or mother (which you are not) isn't something you should just put up with. Please speak to the HV or GP about how you feel

You've had a really rough ride with BF and should be majorly proud of yourself. Also, size now doesn't have any bearing on adult height - DH wasn't a big baby at all but is 6ft 2, and DS is now 60th centile down from 98th or so at birth. Anyway, even if your DS doesn't end up being tall it doesn't matter - he isn't destined to a lifetime of loneliness, how could he be with such a lovely mum teaching him how to be a wonderful man?

thaleia I think you need to speak to your hv if she's any good or go and see your gp. You are sounding like I did and it's a horrible place to be, maybe it would help if your hv did a couple of house visits just to chat so you have some adult interaction etc. if I lived closer id suggest meeting up but I'm in Cardiff so miles away

thaleia your baby sounds very normal, my dd was waking at those times its a 4 month sleep resgrestion/growth spurt. I use to be scared of going to sleep, knowing that I have to wake up in couple of hours! It will get easier.

L woke up at 1130 and 430 last night. So quite good for us. I didn't feed her at 10pm either!

I didn't tell U but yesterday, lyra slipped in the bath with dh, he didn't have full hold of her and she lent forward to reach a rubber duck. She went under the water a knocked into the tap. She very was shocked. So lots of cuddles and a feed. They is no marks on her face at she seems ok. Just me and dh felt awfull.

Hope everyone is well? X

thaleia I was told if you take vit d tablets it fillers through your breast milk.
So might be good for baby?

As for lyra I think she's gonna be a shorty im 5.2 and hubby is 5.7. So not much hope for her! :-)

I only get her weight, and check he once a month now.

Sorry sleep regression! My spelling/ grammer is terrible!

Sorry girls x x

thaleia you are dong great, please talk to your HV or GP, they can help. Sending you hugs. And this article to read which helped me a lot this week as we survive the 4 month sleep regression www.askmoxie.org/2012/08/how-do-you-pick-yourself-up-when-something-knocks-down-your-parenting-confidence.html

Thaleia I'm with the others, please see the HV/GP. I think you need to have a good chat with them. I think you're doing a brilliant job. R has a very loving mum who thinks about what's best for him.

PS, my brother is "little" and has no problems with the ladies :)

Thaleia I hope u get help soon and start feeling better !
Anyone else having trouble with a LO insisting on sleeping on their tummy ?! R turns every time I put her on her back now that she has discovered rolling and always migrates to a corner of her cot where she either gets an arm / leg stuck between the bars or if I have bumper stopping that from happening she'll have her face against it . Lots of waking up and whining too . I'm exhausted from waking up all the time and worrying about her breathing ... She spends a lot of time on her tummy now and is definitely on the move ! Might have to get her a jumparoo to keep her amused she seems very active . Keep on forgetting order a playpen and have a feeling she'll crawl around 6 m like DS . She's really changed in the last month. She's 17w today , 4 m on thu .
Going to Finland tomorrow morning and as usual haven't packed a thing ... Trying to get DS to bed and feeding dd. DH is on his way home via shops getting last minute things ... Felt so dizzy and tired earlier when I was hoping to pack that I had to go to bed and here we go again , will get no sleep ... God I hate travelling but ofcourse want to see my family. !

fliss - thanks for your other post. I feel like such a fake, when I post on the main pages it's always : not a big deal but btw I have this question bla bla but inside I'm so anxious. And I'm a bit, well, the word is probably stupid, to ask all my silly questions here.

all I'll see if home sorts me out, being with my mum and my friends. If not, I'm going to speak to the GP re some happy pills. I spoke to one before but was, well, downplaying my feelings, and he said it's my decision to take something or not. I declined because I still can't get over the fact that, of all people, I might have PND. DH is against it (see my other post) as he thinks it's just unhappiness and stress. In a way, he's right, only the just bit isn't right. It's hugh.

I found out today that bottle fed babies are screaming the house down when still hungry but bf are almost happy to starve themselves. I hope I haven't caused any damage to Raphael as he was falling down but for 6 weeks stayed on the 9th now. I hope he'll still be clever and all in all normal.

He stopped rolling after doing it maybe 20 times. I hope he'll start again soon. I don't know how to encourage him, he already has lots of tummy time. And for sure no rolling from back to front.

I spoke to my SIL about her twins and they were on the smaller size and are not massive as grown ups. Their growth came in spurts and she said that back home the first year is about weight and after about length.

And re being a good mum ... I'm as good as I can but was crap today. He was crying and whinging and all my playing with him wasn't good enough and when I could not carry him anymore, he got the dummy.

My biggest wish at the moment is that hubby would come home early, he only sees R for about 20 mins in the morning and I don't feel that he can have any opinion on him because it's too short to tell.

Re your short baby girls ... keep my son in mind when the time comes ;-)